TrumpetChat

trumpetdad · Guest

How does Brook Mays (a large instruments retailer here in Texas) sell any instruments? I naively went in one of their stores this weekend to buy a trumpet for my daughter (a middle schooler). It was recommended by our band director to get a Yamaha YTR2335S. I was quoted a price of $1000 or so. I then asked about used, and was quoted around $800 or so. Okay, rental. $25/month. They never offered to show my daughter (who was with me) any trumpets. They just expected me to plunk down my money sight unseen. I could do that mail order. At least at a camera store they unhesitatingly bring out a $3000 camera for you to look at and handle. But not an instrument store. I was so put off, I decided to do more research. It turns out these trumpets can be had for around $500 or so via mail order or other channels. What am I getting for the extra $500? I could get two in case one breaks for that money! Mint used versions of this trumpet rarely bring more than $400 on ebay. Why do they want double that (more than new)?

david johnson · High C Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 76 Location: arkansas

did you ask to see the horn? i've never been to a store that wouldn't show the product & let me try it out.

regarding the 'local store/mail order', there are good things with both.
the area stores i've used service their products on site and provide loaners for the kids if extended repair time is needed.

dj

HarryMarks · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:35 am Post subject:

You got a real idiot of a sales person. Any decent store would at least show you the instruments. If your daughter has never played before, I am not surprised that she was not offered a chance to try the instrument.

At most chain music stores, you have to haggle a bit. They will usually give you a price that is near MSRP (list). Then they will start with the "student" discount and work down from there. Box stores try to sell at the highest price possible to boost their profitability.

I remember buying my wife a piano several years ago. I ended paying less than 30% of the original asking price. I just kept shaking my head and going between a couple of different store who had the same Yamaha model.

It really pays to shop.
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Harry Marks

trumpetdad · Guest

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure instruments weren't governed by some strange unspoken sales arrangement that is just "understood". I am used to walking into a store, asking about an item, and if it is in stock, being offered to handle it and then being offered alternatives to it as well by a good salesman. I am also not used to haggling a price since most stores don't give their salesmen wiggle room (cars being the major exception). Unlike cars, instruments can be bought on-line. I would think these people would want to offer their best possible price to keep you buying local. All but one of our traditional cameras stores here has gone out of business due to this MSRP-only mindset. The final one survives by appealing to high-end professional photographers. It looked to me like Brook Mays just wanted to sell high-end instruments to professionals since they don't have any student instruments on display. Maybe that is a side effect of living in Austin, live music capital of the world (or so they claim). I might have to drive out to a small town to get decent service and prices. I won't play the price dickering game when I can have something drop-shipped so easily today and avoid sales tax. Gas is too high to drive around shopping the best price.

bandman · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject:

ahhhhhhh...... Brook Mays! The same chain that had a salesman in New Orleans tell me that the Schmidt Trumpet is the finest pro model in the world! He told me that it plays "more staccato than a Bach". Hmmmmmm..... I asked him what staccato meant and he made some strange sound - you know -- "tat ta tat tat tat tat".
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"To be a teacher you need to be as good a performer as you can be: you'll have more to impart to your students musically." - John Haynie

david johnson · High C Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 76 Location: arkansas